yes. it was that easy. although writing is a bit wonky and LOVE it. i'm sure if you use it more often, the writing will go more easily. but man, i love wonky :)

remember: if you do this in your art journal, it's gonna be THICK and you need to let it dry for quite some time. and you will notice when you work on other pages. but i really really don't care a wonky wobbly art journal.

02/23/2017

haven't made these in quite some time now! mini-albums. was kinda hooked on them. felt, fabric, embelishments, ribbon, paper, pictures and handwriting and hand sewing my way through it.

sometimes filled with lots of emotions. sometimes just for fun. i really do think i want to make one again. with all those gorgeous fabrics i've been hoarding for ages. and in our new home i can even hoard more stuff. bwahahaha. don't tell Arjan!

did you make them? what is your favorite subject to create mini-albums with?

09/15/2016

as i'm drawing a lot lately, i feel like i'm getting more and more the results i love. so yes, your drawing muscle does exist! i always thought i couldn't draw. when i saw other girls draw, i was convinced they just HAD it and i was kinda a loser. but since i've followed multiple classes from Tamara Laporte from Willowing Arts, i feel so confident & happy with my own work. yes i can totally say that i'm happy with my own work. if you can't handle that, than pulease move on to another blog & save me your emails :)

i start out with sketching the sweet little face. i've practiced A LOT on all different sizes and sorts of eyes. i'm happy with how they turn out now. kinda happy/sad combination.

than Sanne asked if i could draw her a girl. OH YES BABY. and of course her bunnies, or at least one of them, had to be in there! why not on her head. that's the fun part of creating: EVERYTHING and ANYTHING goes. NO FREAKING RULES. i don't do well with rules. i like to make up stuff and go where that takes me. so bunny on her head it is. carrot 'dress'.

do you follow me on Revlie on Instagram yet? i'm updating my stories as much as i can, so you can see my process, and some fun video's there too. and sometimes, sometimes i just realize my kids are not from here.... it was crazy hot (as it is now, serious, a heatwave in the half of september? DUDE), and this little crazy one decided to dress up like darth vader. freaking me out in my cute little tiny studio. nasty little bastard. but he better prepare, but i will get payback. for every joke he pulled on me. ohhhh the revanche :)

creating the fur look on the little bunny was kinda hard and tricky. i was not too happy about the small piece of hair on the left. when Sanne saw it she told me it had to go. haha. okay dear, you ask, i deliver :)

added some grey to the paw first, than slowly making some cute little strikes with white paint. yes. the whole bunny had to be painted like this. it relaxes me to know i can be creating this painting for a long time, taking my sweet time. there's no rush, it's all about the process, not about the finished painting. although that also gives a feeling of satisfaction, big time!

same slow process for her hair. stroke by stroke, piece by piece the hair is looking more and more like hair. be it green :)

it's hard to see on a photo that the fur really looks like real fur.

maybe this will do. and his droopy eyes. oh my cuteness.

and i use lots of different colors and mediums to create the eyes. just play with it and see where it takes you.

not to happy about the carrot dress. but it is what it is. i'll manage. don't be to hard on yourself, judging yourself. it's all a process. you learn with every paint or pencil stroke you take. give yourself that time to evolve.

i love the combination of the thick acrylic paint and the soft and translucent watercolors so so so much. don't be afraid to mix things up sweeties, just try and see what happens. yes, you can always always always coverup and there's always new paper!

i add shadow with my pencil. love the 'rough' look of it. not too dark, not too soft either. just imagine where the sun is, and how the shadow will be. and seriously, i don't give a bit if my shadows are off or not humanly possible. i just create them where i think they should be.

it still has to be fun remember! i'm inspired by other artists who share drawings of when they were younger / when they started out and how they draw now! i go look for some of those drawing for you and show you the difference. you can see what practice and persistence can bring you. just keep marching sweetheart, just keep going in the forwarding motion :)

life is good. i need to find a rock to sleep under, because it's bloody hot in the Netherlands right about now. crazy stuff.rev

03/07/2016

a canvas i've created especially for my course, which will go live on April 1st or May 1st. still working these little fingers of! you know, creating a 4-week course is LOTS of work. but really enjoying every minute of it. there will be 4 weeks, and every week we create a mixed media canvas. from 'easy' to more complex like the canvas above and i'll guide you through it, now how's that for fun!

working on creating more courses this year. especially when i closed my (brick & mortar) shop & am changing my online shop drastically. i truly truly believe i can focus only on my own products (stationery line and phone cases now), and create as much online courses as i can. i feel that that is the stuff i love most, and i know i can help with teaching EVERYBODY can create art.

i am also thinking about an online course about being a (creative) entrepreneur. after doing it for 16 years now, i think i can teach a thing or 2 :). but that's on my love-to-do list and is getting shape in my head. but that's where it always start for me. that little idea that takes place in my brain and from there on it grows. it changes and grows some more. it makes me feel good and i love thinking about it. just thinking about how it would be if i have created a course like that. thinking how fun it is to create. period.

so if you are interested in my 4 weeks course on how to create lovely mixed media courses, make sure you are signed up for my zine, because zine subscribers will get the news first when i go live, AND they can receive a little something extra!

on the agenda today: editing editing editing and some editing on my video's for the above course. but that's all fun & play really. but seriously, it can be so tedious to here myself speak and my english is like real Dunglish (Dutch&English combined...). but hey, nobody will die from that!

02/01/2016

you know those awesome effects and techniques you see done with the Masking Liquid pen from Tomboy? i love that effect! but i didn't have a pen like that & i couldn't find it in stores. so i figured it must be done differently...

so i thought about glue. and i had some photo glue lying around. actually being in my way. so i thought, i can write with that photo glue tube. here's what i did:

write something with photo glue

i'm using a Strathmore art journal because the pages are super nice & thick!

let it dry, or use your heat gun

splash around and over it with watercolor

let that dry, or again get your heat gun

eat some dark chocolate while waiting. yes. it is in the picture!

once the paint & glue is completely dry, carefully rub off the photo glue residue

jeeeeej. it worked! and i love it. i don't know if this is a cheaper techique, i'm really not into figuring that out, but i just wanted to make it and didn't have the product i needed. so a little creative thinking and a new technique is born.

show me what you made with photo glue!

on the agenda today: oh so many plans, but the little girl was picked up from school. throwing up (i was just fast enough to open the car door (we were still on the parking lot before her school), and bam, she threw up all over the place. some very lovely road workers came to the rescue with a bottle of fresh water so she could fresh up a bit. those are the men. at home she kept throwing up, at least 18 times. so the flue in full force. she's doing okay now, but is totally exhausted. she keeps tea and some crackers in. so hopefully it was crazy heavy but over soon. she just wants me to sit next to her. so i will. with my crochet hook.

01/25/2016

i'm just addicted to creating. that's all. and so it happened that i made this cute plant-pots tree. it was such a fun project to make. especially in these dark days, it's fun to make something bright & happy to brighten up your house a bit.

so a little overview from the products i used. i bought those tiny plant pots in a Dutch garden store (for the Dutchies: Intratuin!). they are very cheap and that way you can create so many cute DIY projects with them. remember these?

so you need some acrylic paint, tiny plant pots, some yarn, paint markers, a brush and a few buttons.

first pick the acrylic paint colors you love most. and start painting the little plant pots. make sure you color the bottoms too, because we are gonna use them upside-down! and color some of the inside, like 2 cm's from the edge. let it dry. it dries rather quickly though, so no worries, you can keep going and going. some colors need a second layer. especially if you work with paint like Americana, those are a bit thin and needs a second layer. my experience is that if i paint like 10+ pots, if i'm done with the last one, i can go continue the first one with a second layer. like a little factory machine me.

if you are not gonna use them in a tree, or branches or whatever, you can use them just to show case. they are unbelievably uber cute.

than get out your markers. i've used white on most of the plant pots, but i've also used green & black. of course you can pick any color your like, but you might want to choose some contrasting color so the doodles you are gonna make are gonna stand out!

and now just DOODLE. don't think. just create. put on some lovely music. like the new album from Adele. or Coldplay. or Maaike Ouboter. it's kinda meditating. i love to do this while watching tv or chatting with Arjan. i simply can't just sit and watch tv. i have to DO something with my hands. so that's either crochet, draw or work on cute DIY's like this one.

and in case you THINK you mess up (seriously, you can't mess up!), just simply paint over, let it dry and doodle over it. again. no stress. no drama.

if you can't think of any doodles, just go to Pinterest (FOR A SECOND!) and look for doodles, zentangles or coloring books. you'll find plenty of inspiration. but remember: as soon as you are on Pinterest or any other social media energy sucker, you are AWAY from your creative afternoon and your clock is ticking those precious creative minutes away. if you are looking for inspiration, just set an alarm clock and give yourself like 15 minutes to browse for inspiration. now you have a goal, work towards that and after the bell rings, STOP. you are inspired enough now and you don't want to loose your precious time browsing zombis on the Internet, now do you?!

so what are the buttons and the yarn for huh?! to attach those little cuties to my tree! cut some yarn. depends on how short or long you want your pots to hang from the tree (or branches). pull your string of yarn through the button and back. pull the yarn through the little hole in the pot, so the yarn will be held in place because the button will not go through the little hole. easy peasy lemon squeezy.

and then just tie knots and hang your cute little plant pots in your tree. or branches. or where ever you want to hang them.

don't you think they are the cutest?!

a little top view.

so there it is. the cute little plant pot tree thingie. it just looks so cute. especially with my mixed media canvasses in the back. brightening up the place like crazy.

so hopefully it makes your monday a bit less monday-ish. maybe you can think of other uses to use those cute plant pots. show me! would love to know what you would make with them!

10/22/2013

ohhhh this is the most easy bag to sew (yes, i'm no pro and can't even sew straight, but even i can manage to sew this cutie!). so for those of you looking for perfect stuff, move on. this is not perfect, nor is my tutorial. i just taught myself to sew (from books, magazines and just paying attention). and my kids love this cute little bag. which is not theirs. tee hee. it's for one of my sweet friends who needed it for a doll she uses in her job. she helps children with learning disabilities and the doll sometimes talks to them. she only needed a cute bag for the doll. so the doll could bring a cute letter for the kids, or a small toy. duhhhhh i'll make you that bag! ofcourse i'm making 2 more for my "we-don't-have-ANYTHING-kids" :)

- two sorts of fabric (one for the bag, one for the handles, sure you can use one. make it dull. it's your bag)

- fabric scissors

- pins

- velt

- embroidery floss

- sewing machine, or sew by hand!

i've used a template out of cardstock about 17 cm height, and 24 cm wide. i simply put that on my fabric, and cut around, leaving enough edge for the seam. so remember, cut around about 1,5 cm wider than the cardstock is!

for the handles you need 2 fabric pieces of about 10 cm wide and 67 cm long. you need to fold them in half (length wise) later on.

and here, i'm not very careful either. rascel. i just cut 1 strip, put it on the fabric again, and cut another strip about the same wide. real sew ladies will cringe over this, but hey that's the way i roll. i got you this cute bag yes? we are not going to fuss about this right.

now let's start with the seam for the top of the bag. i simply fold down my fabric 1-1,5 cm from the top, and pin it down with pins. this one is seriously crooked in my picture, but i just was too rushed to make a better pic and straigthen it more. but in real it's kinda straight. kinda.

now sew your seam. i ususally sew 2 times, looks more fun and it's a bit more sturdy. i love that word. sturdy.

now move on to the strips / handles. fold it in half length wise with the right sides together. cozy. get your iron out! (seriously, this is the only time you'll see me using an iron!). make sure it's kinda straight on top of each other and iron the little bugger. the fold is nicely in there now, that makes sewing a bit more easy.

now sew those gorgeous handles / strips from top to bottom. you can leave the short sides open. oh. you need 2 of these.

and this is the most dreadful part.... turning those strips/handles in-side-out. the handle of a brush is my best friend while doing this. but be careful. if you push too hard, you'll rip it open. yes. i'm that strong. just pull a little, just pick a little. and work it like a charm.

ahhh there it is again. since the strip/handle is not flat at all, you'll get out your cute little iron, and make it flat.

now you'll going to attach the handle/strip to the bag. do this on both sides (i mean left and right, as in the picture above). and ofcourse on both the front of the bag, and the back of the bag. still following me? no? get chocolate you crazy.

put your fabric right side down on the table. put 1 of the strips on there and pin it down (see the above picture). make sure when you do this for the other part of the bag, it's kinda on the same spot. it's not too cute when your strips are crooked. not cute.

then simply sew your handles onto the bag first with 2 lines, and then i make a cross, as you can see in the above picture. it more sturdy. ha. that word again. stuurrrrrdy.

you have to do this 4 times. than put both your bag parts on top of each other, right sides facing. and now you are going to sew the side, bottom, and the other side.

when you are finished sewing, you can clip the edges (those are the bottom corners of your bag), so you'll have crazy sharp looking corners. and we want that. if you don't want it, don't clip it. can it be any more simple? yes. don't sew.

now cut out of white felt (or any other color you had in mind, or had in stash :), the letters you want to sew on it. i just cut by hand, not paying too much attention if it's perfect or not. you know by now, perfect is NOT my middlename..

get out your embroidery floss and sew on the letters (i did that by hand, you can also use your sewingmachine if you are that lazy).

o. my. gosh. there it is. the cuteness. not only suitable for dolls. or kids. adults are allowed to have one too. i promise.

now. you go and sew some bags. show me what you made!

on the agenda today: FUN day in the woods with my bestie & her 2 kids. oldest & littlest are both in the same class together, so it SHOULD be fun. if they play, we can sit & drink hot chocolate. or coffee. or tea. i heard tomorrow is going to be one of the hottest day of october, so maybe we just take a sorbet. or two.

07/29/2013

in some crazy way we always loose our 'normal' bookmarks. like socks in the dryer. rarely you keep them together as a pair... and since folded corners in books irritates the crap out of me, i thought it was time for cute new monster bookmarks: BOOOO-kmarks. i know. that title is brilliant ...

you can sew them by hand, you can finish them even in one night. but if you feel like doing close to nothing (like i do these {hot} summer days, you can always glue everything. Tacky glue is your best friend you know.

what do you need:

simple stuff like pieces of felt & embroidery thread. a pencil (or a marker that can write on felt and wash out again), needle, filling for the cute little monsters.

what to do:

1. cut a "bookmark" out of a piece of felt. mine is 6 cm wide and 19,5 cm height. cut 2 for each bookmark (front & back). both the same, but because you are going to embroider on one, you can use the other one to cover the back of your embroidery work :)

2. you can embroider the name of your muppet (or your own name!) onto the front. I lightly write with a pencil their names and simply embroider over it. you can also use a washable marker

3. put the both bookmarks on top of eachother and sew them together with the blanket stitch.

4. cut a little monster out of some pieces of felt (remember: cut a front & a back)!. cut easy shapes like circles, squares for the head. don't make it to difficult. hey. it's a bookmark. you can cut out some cute white sharp teeth. maybe a little mouth. embroider it onto the front piece. or glue it on. I've used a simple white / colored and black circle for one of the eyes. the other one is an embroidered cross.

5. fun idea: cut some little hands to let them 'hang over' the page when the bookmark is actually in the book (my muppet sleep with theirs now. so a big FAIL for me...)

6. sew the little monster together with the blanketstitch or the running stitch, but you can always use other fun stitches. last thing to do: sew the cute little hands besides the head and VOILA! your

on the agenda today: well. mostly like last week. that was the first week of summer holidays for us, and since I work at home lately, I try to squeeze in work time in the mornings while the muppets sleep in (yes mine do, shhhhhh don't tell them!). after that we decide: pool, park, riding our bikes cruising like charlies Angels (yes Ruben can act real girly, ever heard him scream?), icecream, making fruit salads. that kind of hard choices. and in between I try to work on a fab new crochet pattern, shoot my new mixed media video, update my shop, pack orders. ya know. the kinda stuff that I love to do, but are real chores when the muppets are around. not complaining! no. just managing. finding my way.